Twice As Sweet
by render me daxless
Summary: It's the holidays, Christmas is almost upon them, cookies, Neji, and TenTen. That's all I'm saying. Read the story and tell me what you think!


**Twice As Sweet**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

eXd: Well! It's been a _long _since I've updated/posted a story! I hope you like this one… It felt a bit weird typing this up. Hopefully, it's because I haven't written anything in a long time, and not because my writing skills have taken a dive. (Aren't they the same thing?) Anyways, this is a story meant for the holidays. There's a part in this story that refers back to my very fist story, Learn To Live Together. P All of you guys who have read LTLT will probably know which part it is. Well, have fun reading this, and happy holidays!

**Twice As Sweet**

Outside of a large, stained glass window fell several large flakes of snow. Many of the tall pine trees were dusted with this wonderful work of nature. Rooftops were specked with the fluffy precipitation. All around the block were houses, framed in multi-colored lights.

It was about one week before Christmas, and TenTen was spending the weekend over at Hinata's house. They were in the living room, lazing around on the furniture. Hinata watched the snow lightly fall to the ground outside her stained glass window. A cozy fire crackled just a few meters away from the two girls.

_Hmm… What should we do? _the brunette wondered. Just then, TenTen's light bulb went off. "Hey Hinata, want to make some cookies? It's almost Christmas; it's just the right time!"

Hinata snapped out of a reverie and looked up at her best friend. "Huh? Oh, umm... y-yeah, sure," the lavender haired girl stuttered, slightly startled. "There's some cookie dough in the freezer. I think it's double chocolate chip."

TenTen smiled and stood up, stretching her aching legs. "Yum, my favorite. C'mon, let's get started!" Both girls abandoned the living room and ambled along to the kitchen. Once inside, though, they found that they weren't alone.

"Hey, Neji," both girls chorused, though TenTen had a slight blush on her cheeks. And unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed.

"Hn," Neji grunted, acknowledging both girls, though not bothering to look up from his laptop. _Wonder what the blush is about._

"Umm… Neji? Why are you using your laptop in the kitchen?" Hinata inquired.

"Hn," Neji replied. TenTen frowned in frustration. Neji caught it out of the corner of his eye, and smirked.

The younger Hyuuga fished around inside her fridge as TenTen pre-heated the oven. _Hope this thing doesn't blow up. _TenTen tugged at her collar when she thought back to what happened the _last_ time she tried to bake cookies. Of course, she didn't bother telling Hinata that she caught half of a wall of a house on fire before.

"Aha! Found it," Hinata called. She glanced at the tub of cookie dough quickly, scanning over the directions. "It says to pre-heat the oven to 320-350 degrees Fahrenheit (About 160-175 degrees Celsius)."

TenTen smiled broadly. "Done!"

Hinata nodded. "Okay, so let's get started." She pried the lid off the container of cookie dough. "Uh-oh. We have a small problem… This looks pretty frozen," Hinata informed TenTen.

"Hmm?" the older girl glanced over her friend's shoulder at the rock-hard substance. Not believing her eyes, she prodded the base form of the pastry with a slender finger. "Whoa, you're right. What do you wanna do?"

Both girls stood there, thinking. "How about we put the tub in the oven to let it defrost?" asked the dark haired girl.

Hinata almost snorted, and Neji laughed mentally. "Yes TenTen," Hinata responded with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "We'll put the _plastic_ tub of _cookie dough_ in the _oven_. Then we can enjoy the sugary / elastic-y taste of plastic cookies."

"Gosh, that was harsh, Hinata. And I mean cold. You've been spending more time around Neji haven't you?" kidded TenTen, forgetting that said person was sitting just a few meters away from them.

Hinata just blushed. "How about we put the tub into a pot of hot water? That'll help it defrost faster."

"Yeah, or we can do that. You know, anything works." TenTen turned a light shade of pink in retrospect of her silly suggestion.

**Half An Hour Later…**

Half an hour later, the girls were clawing at the mushy cookie dough, rolling it into large balls, and plopping them on non-stick baking pans. Both teens were giggling and having a great time.

Once they filled a pan with a dozen cookies, they slipped it into the scorching oven, and began making the second batch. "Oh wait, before we start, there's something I wanna add to this batch," TenTen told Hinata. _Hmm, part of me is telling me to put exlax these cookies. Gosh, this feels like dé jà vu…_ TenTen shook the idea out of her head and started working her magic on the cookie dough while Hinata was checking on the first batch.

_Hmm, I think they'll need another seven minutes or so,_ Hinata thought. When she went back to TenTen, she was already forming the dough into compact spheres.

**Seven Minutes Later…**

Seven minutes later, Hinata withdrew the first batch of cookies as TenTen slid the second one into the oven. After that, they looked at the remaining cookie dough. There was probably enough for three or four cookies. They gazed at each other.

"Do you think we should have just put those into that batch?" TenTen asked, pointing to the tray of doughy deliciousness inside the oven.

"Well, I think it's too late now," Hinata murmured.

Just then, a second light bulb went off above of TenTen's head. "Let's make our initials! So like, I'll make a T and you make an H."

"Yeah! That's perfect!" Hinata agreed enthusiastically. "Except…" Hinata trailed off as she went rummaging inside a cupboard, reaching _way_ into the back and pulling out a few bags. "Here we go! She held up a baggie of mini marsh mellows! "Let's stick these on top of our cookies! I've done this before, it tastes awesome."

"Marsh mellows?" TenTen inquired. "Let's make some hot cocoa too! Oh I can never get enough of that stuff!"

Hinata grinned and nodded vigorously. "Okay, let's get started!"

Hinata was putting everything back and pulled out a tub of the cocoa powder. "Milk or water?" she called out over her shoulder.

"Milk of course! Always milk. It tastes way better." TenTen replied. Hinata nodded. She grabbed a small pot from one of the many cupboards and began pouring milk in it.

"Neji, would you like some?" she asked her cousin.

"Mh," he responded. That was a yes.

"Think this is enough, TenTen?" She showed her the pot, which was filled one-third full of milk.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Why don't you use a measuring cup? I hear they are very useful."

Both girls turned to Neji. TenTen gave a soft snort and waved her hand dismissively. "Neji, you don't understand. We're A_sian_! We don't use measuring utensils!" Both girls laughed while Neji rolled his eyes. Hinata put the pot on the stove and a few minutes after, she added the cocoa powder.

"Mhh, it smells delicious," Hinata commented as she stirred. Before it came to a boil, Hinata ladled it out into three large mugs. However, as fate would have it, some of the hot cocoa slipped from the ladle and slid down her arm.

"Ah!" she squealed, surprised. Both Neji and TenTen looked at her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" TenTen asked.

Hinata rubbed her arm. "Yeah, I'm fine. Good thing it's not very hot! I'm going to go change and wash this shirt really quick."

"Okay, take your time," TenTen said. "I can keep an eye on the cookies!" TenTen began to hum a little made up tune and tapped her fingers on the counter, waiting for the cookies to finish cooking. Hinata nodded and left the room.

Neji looked up agitatedly at his cousin's friend, but said nothing. About a minute later, TenTen began forming her Initial-Cookie and began to sing softly. Neji almost wouldn't have minded the soft lyrics coming from TenTen, had it not been the fact that it was Jingle Bell Rock. Neji absolutely despised that song.

"Do you mind not singing?" he asked her. Unfortunately, TenTen was so caught up in singing and forming her "T" shaped cookie with a wooden spoon that she didn't hear Neji's request.

Neji sighed, stood up, and waked over to TenTen. He tapped her on her shoulder, which caused her to gasp.

"Oh, it's just you, Neji." TenTen gave a sigh of relief. She flashed him a small smile, which he returned with a smirk.

"So what are you doing?" Neji asked her casually, as he walked over to grab the oven mitt. _Didn't I come over here to tell her to stop singing?_

"Making a T-shaped cookie. Wanna help?"

The young man opened the oven and pulled the tray of cookies out, eying TenTen. "You shouldn't leave cookies in the oven for so long. They'll catch fire."

TenTen had totally forgotten about the cookies in the oven. _Good thing Neji's here, or else I would have caught _**this** _house on fire too! _"But you didn't answer my question," she replied with a small smile.

He quirked an eyebrow as he set the tray on the island. "I save you from almost catching my oven on fire, and you question me?" Neji rolled his eyes and walked over to TenTen. He stood not six inches away from her, looking over her shoulder at the… kind of retarded looking T she was making. He gave a sigh and washed his hands. "It's obvious you have never taken… a home economics class." He pried her fingers from the mushy cookie base form and began forming it into a much nicer looking T.

TenTen turned away and grinned. She grabbed some more cookie dough and began shaping it into an N.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the guest. _She is much better at making N shaped cookies than T shaped ones._ Neji observed. _Wonder why that is. _He watched her sender fingers shape the dough into a nice, shapely N. Then, she started making an H. The coffee-haired male was confused by this, until he realized it was for Hinata. Then, TenTen turned to grin at him. After that, she topped all of the three cookies with mini marsh mellows.

"Finished!" she sang.

Neji just smirked as he quickly put the three cookies inside the oven, and grabbed a hand full of marsh mellows to sprinkle into the mugs of hot cocoa. He then decided to try one of the cookies from the second batch, because they were still warm. He bit into one, and decided it was pretty good.

TenTen, who had eaten a cookie from the first batch, wanted to see how the ones from the second ones tasted. She broke a piece off from Neji's and popped it in her mouth. Neji scowled exaggeratedly at her.

"Mmmh, these ones taste better than the first ones. Compared to the first tray, they taste… they taste…" TenTen was trying to think of a word or phrase to describe how it tasted in comparison to the first batch.

Meanwhile, Neji just stared at TenTen. _She's so much different from the other girls. She's smarter, more beautiful, she has a great personality. Once you get to know her, you find her, in comparison to the other girls…_ "Twice as sweet," he muttered out loud.

"Yes! These cookies taste twice as sweet as the first ones! Ooh, you're good, Neji!"

Neji just gave a cocky grin and bit into his cookie again. _Twice as sweet indeed._

eXd: End! Gosh, this was a bit longer than I wanted it to be… Well, I hope it wasn't too long. Did you guys enjoy it? Please review!

EDIT: Okay I changed the ending with the marijuana because yeah, it was kind of ridiculous. Haha. Anyways, Happy Holidays!


End file.
